Annihilation [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Blu-ray] [2018]

Alex Garland is one of the most exciting science fiction filmmakers working today. Look at his resume, he wrote 28 DAYS LATER, SUNSHINE, SUNSHINE, and DREDD. He made the jump to writer/director with the smart and chilling EX MACHINA. His latest effort pulling double duty, ANNIHILATION, is an ultimately humanistic look at the alien first contact and alien invasion genres. With top-notch performances, effects, and music, it’s a must see for fans of brainy sci fi. Natalie Portman plays a damaged and lonely biology professor who’s also ex military. Her husband, played by Oscar Isaac in what amounts to an extended cameo, is a covert ops soldier that’s been missing in action for a year. When he appears back at their house out of the blue, it sets in motion a chain of events that will show us what happened to him and allow us insight into their relationship. See, a meteor crashed into a remote barren swamp, creating some sort of weird expanding field around the site from which no one has returned except him. To go into any more detail than that would be to ruin some of the pleasures the film has to offer. Based on the first novel of Jeff VanderMeer’s SOUTHERN REACH TRILOGY, the mystery of what’s going on within “the Shimmer” is one of the key elements that helps give momentum to the somewhat languid pacing. Additionally, the surprising musical choices and flashbacks break the creeping tension of the events occurring within the bizarre landscape while providing humanity to the otherworldly tone. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tessa Thompson deliver strong supporting performances as members of the exploratory team. The special effects, ranging from subtle to exuberant, are excellent. Sound design, something that many audiences take for granted, is outstanding. At times flirting with body horror, the picture delivers some shocking imagery in spots. Do you like smart sci fi? If so, don’t read anything about ANNIHILATION, just see it. The most immediate comparisons I can think of would be Denis Villeneuve’s ARRIVAL and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A SPACE ODDYSSEY in terms of tone and approach. Fair warning, the ending is very much open to interpretation. This isn’t a story that’s spoon fed to you. Though highly humanistic, it’s also very symbolic and introspective. Additionally, my favorite comic book writer Alan Moore is name checked in the special features. Keep an eye out and see if you can spot his influence on the picture. I watched this on 4K UHD and it looked and sounded excellent. I will continue to watch anything Alex Garland makes, as he is becoming a master of uncompromising and intellectual science fiction.

While I can understand why this film may not be very accessible to all viewers and I know many who dislike it strongly, I personally liked it quite a bit. To me, Annihilation is a good sci-fi film with a great cast. It has interesting sci-fi horror elements and certain aspects that remind me of other sci-fi films like "Arrival" and "The Thing". Visually, it is a pretty cool-looking movie. The 4K transfer is also good, though the picture does look soft in certain spots and I wish it was sharper. However, I think that was director Alex Garland's intent and I don't have a problem with it. If you have seen this film and liked it, then pick it up on 4K. If you haven't seen it and are considering a blind-buy but are unsure, then perhaps renting it first might be a better course of action first to make sure this is your cup of tea. Overall, this is a good film to me and a nice 4K package.

Annihilation is a must see movie for science fiction fans. The film is directed by Alex Garland, who made his directorial debut with 2015's Ex Machina. This is an intelligent film, posing serious questions to the audience and not bending over backwards to deliver easy answers. It has a great cast, headlined by Natalie Portman and featuring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac. It is based on a popular book series, Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling Southern Reach Trilogy, but the movie really stands on its own and is not entirely beholden to the source material. The 4K disc version is exclusive to Best Buy, so don't go looking for it anyplace else. The 4K is definitely worth buying, as the film offers some really fantastic visuals. The package also comes with the standard blu-ray and a digital redemption copy. Don't miss out on picking up this film. Fans of Garland's work won't be disappointed.

Annihilation's first 10 minutes are strong and build the mystery and suspense. Soon after that, the characters begin to make decisions to advance the plot, and the movie begins to go downhill. The movie will entertain with spectacle, lots of CGI and color to keep the simple part of your brain entertained. Every now and again, something happens truly interesting that keeps you watching, and you are expecting to understand by the end. But at the end, everything that happens is basically called space magic (heavily simplifying to avoid spoilers) followed by an ambiguous and contradicting final scene. I would say if you are looking for a slow burn CGI spectacle, watch Annihilation. If you are expecting a thought-provoking story, skip this one. Only gave 3 stars for the visuals. 2 for the plot.

This is not a film for everyone. But if you like unusual and and original films, and aren't put off by the strange and the odd, you may like this film a lot. It certainly has the most "alien" alien I've seen in any movie to date! This is not some guy in a rubber suit, but something I've never seen before on film! I do recommend seeing it in 4K with HDR (the standard definition & standard dynamic range version looks dull and washed out by comparison, but the 4K HDR version does bring the visuals to life). In pacing, I'd compare this to "The Arrival". If you found that movie boring, you might not like this film. If you liked the arrival, you will probably take a liking to this one. Honestly, this movie has the weirdest alien ever! Kudos for coming up with a being (I don't even know if the word "creature" even applies) that is so utterly original.

Annihilation was a visually impressive and tonally accurate adaptation of the novel by the same name. Having read the book last year, I was surprised to learn that it was be adapted to film. It seemed unfilmable. Events and circumstances are largely presented first-person through the thoughts of an unreliable narrator. This is not the recipe for typical Hollywood fare. However, the producers managed to restructure it with a streamlined linear plot that still captures the essence and themes of the book. The visual effects are stunning and, for the most part, manage to capture the imagery from the book. Some depictions differed from my own interpretation, but that's a quibble about artistic expression. It's not for anyone expecting a summer blockbuster, but I definitely recommend the movie to fans of literate science fiction.

My 25 YO son (a pre- med student and medical researcher) and I watched this together. We both loved many aspects of the film and some of the visuals are quite amazing, considering the low budget of the film. The acting was also quite good. The issue we both had with the film is the way it ended. It was very thought provoking; however, for both of us it left us with more questions than answers and as we discussed the ending, it became obvious to both of us that this was a missed opportunity. The ending, to both of us, was too ambiguous and left us both puzzled. Many excellent films leave you with questions that are never to be answered...and provoke continuing conversations. This one flopped on that point, at least to the two of us.

I'm going to be honest and id not know what I was about to see when I first entered the theatre. There was so much silence on what this film was about, I'm sure it made everyone curious when it first came out. Well I saw it, and what I found was a fantastic science fiction/horror movie. Natalie Portman once again demonstrates her leading lady status, but was joined by an all female strong cast. Michelle Rodrigues was also a stand out in the film. I can't get into too much of the film to spoil any surprises, however, just pick this one up, and sit back and enjoy, and remember, you are going to get your socks knocked off on this one.